Daily AncestorProfessor
A professor taught at a college or university; in older use the word could also mean anyone who publicly taught an art or skill.
Strictly, professor is the senior academic rank at a university, but in the United States the word is used loosely for college teachers of any rank. Wiktionary also lists older and slang senses: a practitioner who teaches an art or skill, and a pianist in a saloon.
The 1860 census instructions asked enumerators to state the subject, as professor of mathematics, of languages or of philosophy. The 1900 instructions list "professor (in college or university)" separately from teacher in school.
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Professor." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/occupations/professor. Last checked 2026-10-12.